Gethin nodded at his officers, who had arrived whilst I had been distracted by everything. Both Marcus and Alun were led away towards a police van.

I watched in disbelief as Alun suddenly twisted in the police officer's grip, his face contorting with rage. With a burst of orange glowing magic, he wrenched himself free, nearly toppling the officer in the process.

"Stop him!" Gethin bellowed, but Alun was already sprinting towards the dense woods that bordered Miller's farm.

My heart raced as I saw him disappearing into the shadows of the trees. Without thinking, I took a step forward, ready to give chase, but Gethin's hand on my arm held me back.

"Evie, no," he said firmly. "It's too dangerous."

I could hear the sounds of pursuit as other officers crashed through the undergrowth after Alun. The farm erupted into chaos, with shouts and the crackle of radios filling the air.

"He can't get away," I said, my voice shaking. "Not after everything he's done."

Gethin's eyes met mine, his expression grim. "We'll catch him, Evie. I promise you that."

I watched helplessly as more officers rushed past us, their torches cutting through the gathering dusk. If he got to the edge of the woods, it would swallow them up, allowing him to escape.

"What if he uses magic?" I asked, suddenly realising the danger the officers might be in.

Gethin's jaw tightened. "That's why I can't let you go after him. We don't know what he's capable of."

I felt the power surging through me, the connection to the earth stronger than ever before. I closed my eyes, reaching out with my senses, feeling the thrum of life all around me. I could feel the grass beneath my feet, the trees swaying in the breeze, the birds singing in the sky.

I focused on that connection, drawing strength from it, and then I opened my eyes, fixing Alun with a fierce glare.

"Enough," I said, my voice ringing out clear and strong. "This ends now."

I raised my hands, feeling the power flowing through me, and the earth responded. The ground began to shake and tremble, cracks appearing in the soil as roots burst forth, snaking towards Alun like grasping fingers.

He stumbled back, trying to avoid them, but they were too fast. They wrapped around his ankles, pulling him down to the ground with a thud. The burning globes of magic in his hands sputtered out as he lost his concentration.

I approached slowly, my heart racing as I looked down at the man who had caused so much pain and suffering. He glared up at me, his eyes filled with hatred, but I refused to back down.

"You will never hurt anyone again," I said, my voice steady despite the fear coursing through me. "You will face justice for what you've done."

I felt Gethin's powerful arms wrap around my shoulders, his warmth enveloping me like a comforting blanket. The adrenaline that had been coursing through my veins began to dissipate, replaced by a bone-deep weariness that threatened to overwhelm me.

"It's over, Evie," Gethin said softly, his voice a soothing balm to my frayed nerves. "You did it. You stopped him, and we now know for certain who killed May."

I leaned into his embrace, allowing myself a moment of respite as the reality of what had just happened began to sink in. Alun had been stopped, his twisted plans thwarted, but at what cost?

"Agnes," I whispered, my heart clenching at the thought of my friend lying injured and unconscious. "I need to help her."

Gethin nodded, his eyes filled with understanding. "She needs you now more than ever. There's no way we can get her to a healer on time. There's just one hope, your power, your connection to the earth. It could be the key to saving her."

I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the task ahead. I knew I had healed in the past, but this time healing Agnes would require every ounce of my focus and I couldn't allow it to go wrong and harm her more, but I was determined to do whatever it took.

As I entered the room where Agnes lay, I felt sick because she looked so small and fragile, her face pale and still.

I knelt beside her, placing my hands gently on her chest. I closed my eyes, reaching out with my senses, feeling the faint flicker of life still burning within her. Balance, how did you find balance when there was so little left?

Realisation slammed into my thoughts. At the moment, Agnes's life was like a pair of old-fashioned scales. On one side was her life force, which was getting lighter, on the other was the pain from her wounds. Finding balance meant either taking away the pain or giving her my life force. I had no idea if that was something I could even do.

But no.

There wasn't just life in me, there was life all around me, strongest from the earth who nourished both of us.

With all the love and compassion in my heart, I sought for the energy if felt in the earth and poured what I found into her, willing her to heal, to come back to us. Willing that the life energy would close the wounds and reduce her pain. So Agnes could regulate her own energy again.

The world around me faded away as I focused all my attention on Agnes. It was as if I could see the power from the earth flowing through her like a river of light.

Seconds turned into minutes, and still I held on, refusing to let go. I could feel the sweat beading on my forehead, the exhaustion creeping into my limbs. But I wouldn't stop, not until I knew Agnes was safe.

Why wasn't it working?

I thought of May. I remembered her smile and the way she always believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. I thought of the feel of her hugs, the smell of her perfume, the sound of her laughter.

I felt power surge through me and focused all my energy on Agnes, willing her to heal and come back to us.

I subconsciously grasped the pendant at my neck, rubbing fingers over the grooves, feeling the ridges and valleys beneath my skin. The symbol which had followed be since I arrived at Llyncroft suddenly, I knew what it meant. Balance.

Fiona balancing the darkness she lived with every day. The two wolves, one the man I hated and one I was growing to admire.

Balance. The key to everything, the answer to the questions plaguing me.

I looked down at Agnes, her face pale and still. I knew I couldn't force her to heal.

I closed my eyes, reaching out with my mind further into the earth. I could feel the earth beneath me, and I could feel something else, too, something dark and powerful and ancient.

I hesitated for a moment, afraid of what I might be unleashing. But then I thought of Agnes, of all the times she had been there for me, of all the wisdom and guidance she had shared. I couldn't let her down, not now, not when she needed me most.

I took a deep breath and reached out, grasping hold of that dark energy. I felt it flowing into me, mixing with my own powers, creating something strange and wonderful.

I placed my hands on Agnes's chest, feeling the faint flutter of her heartbeat beneath my fingers. I poured everything I had into her, the light and the dark, the earth and the shadows, the balance that I had finally found.

For a moment, nothing happened. And then, slowly, almost imperceptibly, I felt a change. Agnes's skin warmed beneath my touch. Her breathing grew stronger and more even. I watched in amazement as the colour returned to her cheeks, as her eyes fluttered open and focused on mine.

"Evie?" she whispered, her voice hoarse and weak. "What happened?"

I felt a sob rising in my throat, a mixture of relief and exhaustion and joy. "You're okay," I choked out. "You're going to be okay."